Battle between taxi app Didi and Kuaidi

Taxis on the streets in Beijing. [File photo / China Daily]

The two Chinese taxi booking mobile apps for smartphones have been heating up their battle backed by internet giants Tencent and Alipay.

Didi, indicates the beep of a car, is working with Tencent's WeChat, while Kuaidi, meaning to find a taxi swiftly, has joined hands with Alipay as payment methods.

They are now both applying financial means to attract users and drivers: They will give promotion fees to taxi drivers for each deal made, and also save 10 yuan for each taxi passenger, when a customer take a taxi through the app and paid the fare through the mobile payment method.

Didi requires the customers connect their bank cards with WeChat account and then 10 yuan will be deducted directly from the fare, and the taxi drivers will get another 10 yuan. WeChat is a mobile comprehensive service platform by Internet giant Tencent offering communication, shopping, payment, and game, etc.

Kuaidi needs the users Alipay account and will return 10 yuan back to the payment account, and the money will be available in 3 days for withdraw or consumptions, and the drivers will receive 15 yuan. Alipay is a mobile payments platform rolled out by e-commerce giant Alibaba.

Didi received $18 million from GSR Ventures and Tencent in the previous two financing round. In the third financing round, it received $100 million, $60 million dollar from CITIC Private Equity Funds Management Co, and $30 million from Tencent.

Kuaidi in June 2013, received $8 million from Alibaba, and merged another taxi service company Bumblebee.

How to use Taxi app

1. Download it from app market.

2. Open it and input destination and click "calling".

3. Wait the Taxi. When the order is accepted, some information will be showed including drivers' name, drivers' company, car number, and waiting time.

4. Input charge fee, is showed in taximeter, and click "payment" when you arrived.

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